NIL Knowledge Hub
What is NIL Go? The NIL clearinghouse, explained
NIL Go is the online clearinghouse the College Sports Commission uses to review third-party NIL deals for NCAA Division I athletes: every deal worth $600 or more, in total, must be reported within five business days of signing. NIL Go checks whether the payer is associated with the athlete's school, whether the deal has a valid business purpose, and whether the pay is within a reasonable range of compensation.
Key facts
- Who must report: every NCAA Division I athlete, whether or not their school opted in to revenue sharing.
- What: third-party NIL deals worth $600 or more in aggregate, counting cash, products and services, and deals that could reach $600 through bonuses, royalties or contingencies.
- When: within five business days of signing or agreeing to payment terms; incoming high school, junior college and Division II or III transfers have 14 days after enrolling, or until their first game.
- Reporting has been required since June 7, 2025.
- Results: cleared, not cleared, or flagged for additional review.
- Appeals: neutral arbitration, started within 14 days, free to the athlete, usually decided within about 45 days.
- Through August 31, 2026: 46,478 deals worth $582.49 million cleared and 2,296 worth $156.93 million not cleared.
On this page
What NIL Go is
NIL Go came out of the House settlement. The College Sports Commission, which enforces the settlement-era NCAA bylaws, built it with assistance from Deloitte to evaluate third-party NIL deals. Athletes log in at nilgo.com to submit deals and see their status.
NIL Go does not review payments from an athlete's own school. Those are reported by the school in a separate system, the College Athlete Payment System (CAPS), and count against the school's revenue-sharing cap.
What you must report
Report any third-party NIL deal, meaning one with a business or person not owned or controlled by your school, that is worth $600 or more in total. Count:
- Cash payments, including bonuses, royalties and contingent payments that could push the total to $600.
- Products and services, such as a free car lease or gym membership.
- All deals with the same payer, or with companies under common ownership, added together.
You may report deals under $600 too; reporting is only mandatory at $600 and up. You may name one representative, such as an agent or parent, to enter deals for you, but the submission is yours.
Reporting deadlines
The deadline depends on where you are in your career.
| Athlete | Which deals | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Current Division I athlete | Third-party deals of $600+ | 5 business days after signing or agreeing to payment terms |
| Incoming from high school | Deals of $600+ made after the later of July 1, 2025 or the first day of junior year | 14 days after first enrolling, or before the first game, whichever comes first |
| Incoming from junior college | Deals of $600+ made after the later of July 1, 2025 or first enrolling at the two-year college | 14 days after first enrolling, or before the first game, whichever comes first |
| Transfer from Division II or III | Deals of $600+ made from the date the athlete entered the transfer portal | 14 days after first enrolling, or before the first game, whichever comes first |
How deals are reviewed
Each deal is checked three ways.
- Associated status: is the deal sponsor, or the company paying on its behalf, an associated entity or individual of your school? That includes groups that exist in significant part to support the school's athletes (most collectives), their owners and employees, people who have given more than $50,000 over their lifetime to the school or such a group, and anyone who has helped recruit or retain athletes.
- Valid business purpose: does the deal use your NIL to promote or endorse goods or services sold to the general public for profit, with real activation of your NIL? Money raised to get athletes to enroll or stay is not a valid business purpose, and buying NIL rights without saying how they will be used (warehousing) may not pass.
- Range of compensation: is the pay commensurate with what similarly situated people with comparable NIL value are paid? The calculation considers the deal's obligations, your athletic performance and social reach, the local market and your school's market reach.
As of July 2026, deals valued at $600 to $15,000 are not put through range-of-compensation review until an athlete reaches $50,000 in associated deals in an academic year. They still need a valid business purpose.
If a deal is not cleared
You have three options:
- Revise the deal with the sponsor and resubmit it.
- Cancel the deal and refund any money already received.
- Appeal to neutral arbitration: select it on the not-cleared deal in NIL Go and upload the Form Demand for Arbitration within 14 days, or the decision becomes final.
Arbitration is decided by one neutral arbitrator chosen at random from a panel approved by class counsel and the defendants. Athletes pay no arbitration fees, any penalty is on hold while it runs (unless the arbitrator decides otherwise), and the decision is final and binding on both sides. If you go ahead with a deal that was not cleared, or never reported it, you can lose your eligibility.
What the numbers show
The College Sports Commission publishes regular NIL Go data reports. Its September 9, 2026 report says that from the platform's launch on June 11, 2025 through August 31, 2026, 46,478 deals worth $582.49 million were cleared and 2,296 deals worth $156.93 million were not cleared.
- In July and August 2026 alone, 12,283 deals worth $227.25 million were cleared.
- The commission handled an average of more than 200 deals a day in July and August 2026, and resolved 68% of them within seven days of all required information being entered.
- A revised range-of-compensation model took effect in early July 2026.
The commission's January 2026 report listed the primary reasons for not clearing a deal: no valid business purpose, no direct activation of NIL rights (warehousing), and pay out of line with similarly situated individuals. Check the commission's data reports page for the latest figures.
Frequently asked questions
What is NIL Go?
NIL Go is the College Sports Commission's online clearinghouse for third-party NIL deals involving NCAA Division I athletes. Athletes report deals worth $600 or more, and NIL Go reviews associated status, valid business purpose and range of compensation.
Do I have to report an NIL deal under $600?
No, reporting is mandatory only at $600 or more in total with the same payer. You may still report smaller deals, and remember that bonuses, royalties and products count toward the $600.
How long do I have to report an NIL deal?
Five business days after signing or agreeing to payment terms for current Division I athletes. Incoming freshmen and transfers have 14 days after enrolling, or until their first game, whichever comes first.
Does NIL Go apply if my school did not opt in to revenue sharing?
Yes. Every Division I athlete must report third-party deals of $600 or more, whether or not the school opted in.
Does NIL Go set a fair market value for my deal?
It applies a range-of-compensation test to deals with associated entities and individuals, comparing your pay to similarly situated people with comparable NIL value. As of July 2026, deals of $600 to $15,000 skip that test until you reach $50,000 in associated deals in an academic year.
Is the $600 NIL Go threshold the same as the IRS 1099 threshold?
No. NIL Go's $600 threshold is an NCAA reporting rule. For payments made in 2026, the IRS threshold for issuing a Form 1099-NEC or 1099-MISC is $2,000, and NIL income is taxable either way.
Next steps
Sources
- Student-Athlete NIL Deals (NIL Go) — College Sports Commission
- Rules and Policies — College Sports Commission
- Frequently Asked Questions — College Sports Commission
- Enforcement and Neutral Arbitration — College Sports Commission
- Glossary — College Sports Commission
- NIL Go Data Report (September 9, 2026) — College Sports Commission
- NIL Deal Flow Report (January 12, 2026) — College Sports Commission
- NIL Data Reports — College Sports Commission
- Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC — Internal Revenue Service
This is general information, not legal advice. NIL rules differ by state, school, association and sport, and they change often. Check the official sources linked on this page and talk with your school's compliance office, your state association or a licensed attorney before you sign anything.